2015 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon Spied

Our spy shooters once again caught the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon truck twins testing, and this time they caught a glance under the trucks’ hoods. The new photos reveal that at a V-6 with variable valve timing and direct injection will be available for the new Colorado and Canyon.

Although the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon won’t begin production in Missouri until next year, the engine revelation hints at the trucks’ engine choices. General Motors offers several engines with DI and VVT that could be well suited to the trucks: a 3.0-liter V-6, a 3.6-liter V-6, and even the 4.3-liter V-6. That last engine is already used in the larger Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and offers 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. But GM might pick smaller engines for the Colorado/Canyon twins to provide some distance between them and the Silverado, making the 3.0- and 3.6-liter V-6s look like a strong possibility. It’s also rumored that a four-cylinder gas engine or a turbodiesel will be among the engine possibilities for the new midsize offerings.

As we saw in our previous spy photos, the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado will adopt some design cues from the larger 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. Look for a wide and tall grille bookended by large, squared-off headlights. The front end appears to be a little more rounded than on the Silverado, although the rest of the truck is mostly composed of straight edges with rounded corners. The cab’s roofline is curved and rounded, presumably for aerodynamic reasons. The 2015 GMC Canyon spotted here prominently sports a three-bar GMC chrome grille beneath its camouflage, and has larger wheels than those on the Chevrolet. Both crew- and regular-cab versions of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon will be offered; our spy photos show that some of the crew-cab, long-bed models will be long enough that they truly stretch the definition of a midsize pickup truck.

When the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon debut sometime next year, they will have few direct competitors. Ford declined to bring the midsize Ranger to the U.S. market, and Ram has yet to announce plans for a midsize Dakota revival.

Expect more details on the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and 2015 GMC Canyon to emerge over the coming year as General Motors prepares for the midsize trucks’ launch.